Americans have always looked to the future. Planning for next week,
next month, or next year, we rarely dwell on the past, but rather look
ahead to tomorrow. But each year in November, we pause to look back,
to reflect with pride and profound gratitude on the achievements of our
Nation's veterans. The service and sacrifice of these millions of
courageous men and women is a gleaming thread that weaves, unbroken,
through the fabric of American history.

More than two centuries ago, the framers of our Constitution
outlined in a few brief words the burden and privilege that generations
of American veterans would willingly embrace: to "provide for the
common defence . . . and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves
and our Posterity . . . ." Since the days of the American Revolution,
nearly 42 million patriots have taken up arms to defend America and to
guarantee that the blessings of liberty are, indeed, secure. From
Lexington and Concord to Fort McHenry and San Juan Hill, from the
Argonne Forest to the shores of Normandy, from the frozen terrain of
Korea to the jungles of Vietnam and the sands of Kuwait, America's
veterans have risked -- and more than half a million have lost -- their
lives to preserve our freedom and defend our national interests.

Today, more than 25 million American veterans live among us. They
come from every walk of life and from every ethnic, religious, and
racial background. They are our family members, friends, and neighbors,
but these seemingly ordinary citizens have accomplished extraordinary
things. They have defended our liberty against every challenge,
preserved our values, advanced democracy across the globe, and made
America the world's best hope for freedom and lasting peace.

For these contributions, and for so much more, we owe our veterans
an enormous debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay. To those
who have completed their service and returned to civilian life, we owe
the opportunity for a good education, a good job, and the chance to buy
a home. For those who have suffered injury or illness in service to
America, we must provide relief, quality health care, and the
opportunity to live out their dreams. To the families of those still
missing, we owe the fullest possible accounting and every effort to
determine the fate of their loved ones. And to those who have died for
us and for our country, whether here at home or on some foreign
battlefield, we owe our lasting respect and the pledge to meet
America's future challenges with the same valor and generosity that
infused their sacrifice.

In recognition of and gratitude for the contributions of those who
have served in our Armed Forces, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C.
6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal
public holiday to honor America's veterans.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, WILLIAM J. CLINTON, President of the United
States of America, do hereby proclaim Tuesday, November 11, 1997, as
Veterans Day. I urge all Americans to acknowledge the courage and
sacrifice of our veterans through appropriate public ceremonies and
private prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to
display the flag of the United States and to encourage and participate
in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and
fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions,
and the media to support this national observance with suitable
commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of
November, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-seven,
and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred
and twenty-second.